When I first thought of doing plants in a new deep tank, I thought it would be great. The garden grows ok, just needs water. Now I’m bringing the plants to the water. Simples, put plants into tank and job done. Or so I thought….
Ohhh, it turns out they need light. And not just any light but plant lights. Alright go and buy special lights (family asks how lights can be so expensive and if plastic plants would be cheaper). Nah, don’t worry - all sorted! Except now I’m running the lights too much apparently and growing algae instead (cue family asking why these expensive lights are turned off half the time).
Ok, so now I need to get some tank ferts. Trot out to garage to find it is way more complex than getting lawn fertiliser. So now I’m spending lots of time sitting at the computer reading up on different ferts and what element deficiency looks like. (Family ask what is going on so I start explaining about macro and micro ferts – snoring sounds and the patter of running feet follow shortly after. Oh, and the usual comment that plastic plants can look pretty nice and they sound cheap!). Anyways so now I have ferts in bottles, little containers and in several drawers along with a complex dosing schedule using software developed by NASA to put man on the moon.
Right everything is ticked except now the plants need a carbon source (darn fussy these plants, but I’ve spent so much I can’t back out now.). Liquid carbon, DIY carbon, CO2 injection set-ups. More reading and cursing (meanwhile fish write a petition they are feeling ignored).
All done, buy yet more plants and away we go. Except now some plants hardly grow or get eaten (gee, thanks fish!) or even worse they grow like weeds and need trimming. The trimming is fun for a few months and then, and then – sigh, time to change plants to something less aggressive / reduce lighting again (dear, explain why the equipment around the tank looks like you bought it off NASA workshops and was how much?!).
And on it goes….
I have learnt that every so often it all comes together and you can show off your tank to friends, (well, you don’t – the family then take ownership of the tank), and that the people in our lives that put up with our hobby are truly great indeed!
